1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having latching devices.
2. Description of Related Arts
A typical electrical connector connecting an IC package to a printed circuit board includes a plate-like base, a cover member and a plurality of terminals received in the base. The electrical connector is mounted on the printed circuit board, which has a plurality of conductive pads electrically connecting the terminals of the electrical connector, and the terminals also conductively contact the IC package mounted on the electrical connector, thus permit the interconnecting between the IC package and the printed circuit board.
To adapt the miniaturization of the computer's size, electrical connectors are designed to be smaller day after day, meanwhile the densities of the terminals are becoming much higher. It is becoming more and more important to accurately position the IC package to the electrical connector to ensure the reliability of transmission of electrical signals. Commonly, the cover member of electrical connector is driven by an actuator in a plane parallel to the underlying base, which makes the IC package, whose pins are received in the cover, interconnect with the terminals mounted on the base of the electrical connector without applying any insertion force to the pins of the IC package. It is noted that close coupling of the base and the cover is quite significant to make the better interconnection. However, in some cases, there are only some simple latching members formed on the head or the edges of the connectors. Because of the differences of the structure strength between the components coupling together, when distortion takes place in the base or cover of the electrical connector, the coupling of the base and cover is not quite steady, which may result in unreliable engagement between the terminals and the pins of the IC package. In addition, the transmission of electrical signals would be infected and it may lead to shut off electricity instantly.
Chinese Patent Application No. 01255457.X discloses an electrical connector having improved latching members. Hooks and corresponding latching holes formed on the head of an electrical connector latch with each other to dismiss the distortion which may take place when a cover of the electrical connector is driven by an actuator lever to move over the underlying base. However, the latching members formed only on the head of the electrical connector are not able to effectively eliminate the distortion after the cover and the base are securely coupled together. Furthermore, the same width of the latching holes may lead the hooks to get out from the latching holes while the cover is moving over the underlying base.
Hence, an electrical connector having improved lathing devices is desired.